


Our Heroes Fall

by Shi_Toyu



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Harley Keener Feels, Hurt Harley Keener, Hurt Tony Stark, Minor Character Death, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Spoilers, Teenage Harley Keener, Tony Being Tony, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 00:42:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14557143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu
Summary: After the events of Infinity War, Harley heads for New York.





	Our Heroes Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Played with tense in this one a bit, not sure I super like it. But it's important to try new things.

The first thing Harley does after his mom and sister disintegrate into fucking _ash_ is try to call Tony, then Ms. Potts. Neither of them answer. The next thing he does is pull all the cash out of the box of savings he keeps under his bed, throw everything he needs into a backpack, and head for New York. Everywhere is chaos and bedlam as people try and figure out what’s going on. He has to be careful, because more than just a few people are calling this the end of the world and looters are all over.

When he finally makes it to New York, Harley makes a beeline for Stark Tower. He used to think if he ever made it to the city, he’d want to see the Statue of Liberty and the New York Library and Broadway and Grand Central and a million other places. None of them cross his mind and he darts down the streets, only ever stopping to reassess his location or avoid being run over. FRIDAY lets him into the tower without hesitation, guiding him to an elevator that will take him straight to the penthouse.

“I’ve alerted Colonel Rhodes to your arrival, Kiddo. He should arrive shortly via the landing pad. Boss’s kitchen is fully stocked, so feel free to help yourself. Is there anything I can get for you in the meantime?”

Harley bites his lip. He’d known Tony was missing since before the disappearances, but he’d hoped he might be back by now. He hoped Tony came back at all. He heads for the kitchen anyway. He hasn’t eaten in a little over a day and he’s _starving_.

“Ms. Potts isn’t here?” he asks instead.

It makes sense, actually. She’s probably busy trying to hold Stark Industries together and help out in any way the company could. That’s what Tony always wanted.

“No,” FRIDAY informs him, a slight hesitation in her voice that could only belong to one of Tony Stark’s AIs. “I am afraid Ms. Potts was among those of the population who vanished recently.”

Harley’s stride stutters to a halt. He suddenly doesn’t feel hungry anymore. His hands clench at his sides as he trembles all over and tears spill down his face. Ms. Potts, his mom, his sister… What if Tony isn’t coming back either? It’d been stupid to come here! What did he think was going to happen? That Tony would just be here waiting for him and somehow make everything better?

He ends up on the floor, arms wrapped around his legs and face hidden in his knees as he cries. Rhodey finds him like that when he arrives and says nothing, just sinks down on the floor beside him and pulls him into a hug.

.

Tony made damn sure to call ahead before guiding Nebula’s ship into Earth’s atmosphere. He hadn’t made his way back across half the universe just to get shot out of the air because somebody in mission control got jumpy. Not that he could’ve blamed them, considering recent events. He was feeling a little trigger happy himself. He just didn’t have anything to _shoot_ _at._

Their destination was the Avengers compound, and Tony felt inordinately glad to see it. At the same time, he felt his gut twisted at the memory of the newest Avenger, who would never again get to step inside its walls. Tony tried to shake the thoughts off, guiding the ship in for a landing and pressing the appropriate buttons to lower the ramp.

“Come on,” he said to Nebula as they climbed out of their seats. “Let’s go see who all is left.”

The sun was blinding as they first stepped out onto the grass and Tony held up a hand to shield his eyes. _Fuck_ , but a few months in space had really messed with him.

“ _Tony!_ ”

He turned to look in the direction of the voice, only to freeze, heart all but stopping in his chest. Dark hair, gangly, teenage limbs, running toward him full-tilt. For a second, just a split second, it was Peter running toward him, somehow _alive_ and _whole_ and _happy_. Then reality snapped back in and Tony recognized Harley right before he slammed into the genius, sending them both to the ground and hugging him tightly. He’d grown so _much!_ When had that happened?

Tony wasn’t ashamed to admit he clung to the boy, burying his face in Harley’s hair. And if he cried, too, sobbed with the realization that he was _home,_ that he’d made it when the others hadn’t, when Peter hadn’t… Well, he was pretty sure Harley wouldn’t tell on him.


End file.
